Blessed my new rods and reels yesterday and today.
What is the right way to clean them following a day in the salt?

I want this gear to last and last and last.

hot shower, with your stinky self. at least thats what i do:D

For the rod--give it a coat of cheap car wax, once at the start of the season, maybe another midway thru, and before you rack it for the winter. Spray the guide frames with WD-40 periodically---especially if they're Pac Bay guides :eek:

Rinse the reel in a gentle stream---a driving stream of water could wash salt into the innards. Some reels require more frequent TLC than others. If you have the mechanical skill, and the reel gets dunked a lot, you should do a complete tear-down, cleaning and re-lube monthly.